Nigel McKeand Movies
- 2010
A young girl discovers a hoard of monsters living underneath her father and stepmother's house in this remake of the spooky 1973 made-for-TV production. Guillermo del Toro and Matthew Robbins adapt the screenplay, with directing duties handled by comic artist Troy Nixey. Katie Holmes stars in the Miramax Films production. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
- 1986
Alex: The Life of a Child is based on the true story of Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford and his dying 8-year-old daughter Alex. Craig T. Nelson plays Deford and Gennie James is Alex, both of whom come to grips in different ways with Alex's fatal cystic fibrosis. A subplot involves the torment of Deford's wife (Bonnie Bedelia), who wonders whether she should adopt a child after Alex's death in 1980. Alex: The Life of a Child is effective, but not as well made as its subject matter deserves. Better examples of this particular TV-movie genre include Death be Not Proud (75), based on author John Gunther's recollections of his son's struggle against a degenerative brain tumor, and Mary White (77) the story of a personal tragedy in the life of Kansas journalist William Allen White. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1975
In this fact-based made-for-TV tearjerker, the promising life of a talented teenage athlete is suddenly destroyed when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Despite the bad news, the boy does all he can to fight the disease. His devoted mother supports him to the bitter, inevitable end. The story is based on the experiences of Doris Lund, the late Eric's mother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Rummaging through a second-hand purse which she has purchased in anticipation of going to a dance with John-Boy's friend Mike (Ted Eccles), Mary Ellen (Judy Norton-Taylor) finds a valuable ring. Allowing vanity to get the better of her, Mary Ellen decides to wear the ring to the dance, even as its previous owner Mrs. Breckenride (Adrienne Marden) announces that the ring is missing. A crisis ensues when our heroine loses the ring somewhere in the school gym--necessitating a nocturnal "burglary" involving two of the Walton kids. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Seeking out of a part-time job, John-Boy (Richard Thomas) is hired as a reader for Ruth Thomas (Elaine Heiveil), who was recently blinded in an accident. Bitter over her plight and angry at the world, Ruth rejects all of John-Boy's efforts to be friendly, convinced that he is only acting out of pity. Finally, John-Boy gets fed up with Ruth's attitude and tells her off--with startling results. This is one of several Waltons episodes directed by celebrated stage and film actor Ivan Dixon, best known to Baby Boomers as "Kinchloe" on Hogan's Heroes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
The Walton kids purchase a Ouija board from storekeeper Ike (Joe Conley), and immediately set about to contact the spirit world. Though Olivia (Michael Learned) and Grandma (Ellen Corby) regard this activity as diametrically opposed to their religious beliefs, the kids' friend Luke (Kristopher Marquis) hopes that the board will help him communicate with his deceased mother. Sure enough, an unseen force seems to be guiding the children's hands as they spell out an ominous message, warning Luke to cancel a planned train trip--and not long afterward, word arrives that the train has crashed! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1974
Over the protests of his mother Olivia (Michael Learned), John-Boy insists upon entering a seven-day dance marathon with a flightly young lass named Daisy (Deidre Lenihan in her first Waltons appearance). At first, John-Boy is dazzled by the glamour and spectacle of the event, but after a few footsore days on the dance floor he wishes that he'd listened to his mother! In depicting the desperation and broken dreams of the other dance contestants, this episode is a worthy companion to the similarly-themed theatrical feature They Shoot Horses, Don't They? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Using John-Boy (Richard Thomas) as a go-between, blacksmith Curtis Norton (Ned Beatty) carries on a long-distance courtship with city girl Ann Harris (Ivy Jones). Though John-Boy sees no harm in writing Curtis' love letters for the shy Smithy, his tendency to embellish the facts causes big problems when Ann pays a visit to Walton's Mountain. Meanwhile, Olivia (Michael Learned) begins fantasizing about an operatic career while bicycling to her weekly choir practice. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Ranking with Dan Curtis' Trilogy of Terror as one of the spookiest made-for-TV horror films of the 1970's, this atmospheric monster chiller stars Kim Darby and Jim Hutton as a comfortable, reasonably happy young couple who inherit the archetypal "Old Dark House" from the wife Sally's deceased aunt. While renovating the creepy mansion, they enter a previously-sealed room, which features a securely bricked-up fireplace. Despite the insistence of a local contractor (My Three Sons' William Demarest) that they leave the room undisturbed, Sally's husband manages to open the flue, releasing a horde of shriveled mini-monsters imprisoned there for decades. The little demons immediately fixate their malevolent attention on Sally in an effort to claim her soul, a mission which can only be averted by the love of her husband -- which, in light of his self-centered careerism, means poor Sally's pretty much on her own. Director John Newland manages to pull off this one-note premise with some effective, frightening scenes -- especially when he chooses to show as little of the goofy-looking monsters as possible -- but it's hard to sustain this level of suspense for a full 90 minutes. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- 1972
A family of Jewish refugees settles in a small cottage on Walton's Mountain. Terrified that the Nazi persecution that had forced them from their homeland has followed them to America, Professor David Mann (Noah Keen) warns his family not tell anyone that they are Jewish. Crestfallen that he will not be permitted to celebrate his Bar Mitzvah, Paul Mann (Radames Peras) loses all respect for his father--and it is up to the Waltons to convince the Manns that their dark days are past, and to reunite the Professor and his son. Featured as Eva Mann is Ellen Geer, the daughter of series regular Will Geer (Grandpa Walton). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1972
Olivia (Michael Learned) strongly disapproves when husband John (Ralph Waite) invites four travelling carnival performers (one of them played by legendary "little person" Billy Barty) to stay with the Walton family. The quartet of "carnies" had found themselves stranded after their manager skipped town with the carnival's profits. Ever so gradually, Olivia warms up to these curious but likeable nomads -- and when the four entertainers discover that the Waltons hadn't had enough money to attend their carnival when it first arrived on the Mountain, a very special performance is staged in the family's barn. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
